


Maverick Hunter

by Inurshuh



Category: One Piece
Genre: All's fair in love and war, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, F/M, Modern AU, alternating pov, an attempt at humor, emotionally stunted Tashigi, emotionally stunted Zoro, introspection through laser tag, laser tag as foreplay, scar fixation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-14 16:42:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29919822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inurshuh/pseuds/Inurshuh
Summary: "None of the Strawhats made sense to her, couldn’t figure out exactly what made them tick and laser tag with them was just confirming what she always thought. They’re absolutely insane. All of them. The entire lot. Insanity, she swears, is contagious considering the way she almost pulls a Nami and punches the tall man down to the ground. Feeling her eyebrow twitch, she wonders if it wouldn’t be the best course of action - but she’s 3 Strawhats down, and so many more to go."The Strawhats & G-5 embark on laser tag. This goes about as smoothly as you'd expect.
Relationships: Roronoa Zoro/Tashigi
Comments: 9
Kudos: 14





	1. Ready Set Go!

**Author's Note:**

> For the one and only, Queen of the Corgis from the Zotash Discord server.  
> Laser tag + Strawhats + G-5 = mayhem and shenanigans; especially when Tashigi's got her eye on only *one* Strawhat.  
> I hope you enjoy it! <3

Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. 

Every muscle in Tashigi’s arms is tense, and she can feel a bead of sweat trailing down her back. It’s chaos all around her. Screaming, yelling, fighting - the guns throw her for a loop.

It isn’t what she’s used to or prefers, but it’s not too heavy; the butt fits perfectly in her palm, and it’s similar to the standard Marine-issued rifle she had to shoot a few years ago for her promotion. She might be rusty, but she’s always had a good aim.

It’s Strawhats versus G5 and nobody was safe. 

Pieces of her hair keep falling in her face and she itches to move them out of the way but she doesn’t dare move. They’re nearby - somehow louder than all the commotion, _How is that even possible?_ , and far too obvious. 

She grits her teeth because she knows she’s going to regret this; already feels that guilt settling low into her stomach, and sees the look on their faces. They probably thought she wouldn’t get them, she is _nice_ after all, but they’re in her way right now. 

And that’s unfortunate. She doesn’t want to do it but, all’s fair in love and war, right?

And Roronoa Zoro loves to work the Captain’s nerves. And he’d been extremely unbearable earlier today but the absolute worst thirty minutes ago, when this all started. She can still hear his mocking voice, “Think you’re really going to beat us, Glasses? You haven’t yet. What’s gonna make this any different?,” and that God awful _smirk on his face._ She’d been tempted to punch him. _Probably for the best that I left Shigure at home._

Inhale. _Finger on the trigger, the butt resting dead square in your palm._ Exhale.

Inhale. _Pivot, feet shoulder-width apart._ Exhale. _Time to pull the trigger._

She just mouths she’s sorry as Usopp and Chopper look at her dumb-struck; they hadn’t even noticed her, tucked in the shadows of the wall right around the corner. _Thanks to all those stakeouts and undercover missions. Some habits die hard._

“What just happened? What? No! How are we out-” Usopp’s confused voice rings out, and she snickers to herself until she hears Chopper sputtering.

Chopper’s lips are trembling, eyes glassy and _Oh no. He’s about to cry._ Usopp looks surprised now, groaning, “It’s you! I didn’t think you’d actually shoot us!” 

Chopper’s quivering form and big doe eyes have the guilt crashing in, makes her heart speed up as she tries to ignore the disappointed look on Ussopp’s face, the way he drags his feet as he pulls Chopper away to the side.

“Miss Tashigi, how could you!” The cutest little doctor in the world ever just stares at her back as she runs past them, and the hiccups he lets out tears at her heartstrings. 

_Sorry guys, all’s fair in uhh… Laser tag and war._

Remembering Roronoa’s words, “Bet you’re out in five seconds,” makes her wish she stumbled across him, makes her briefly wonder if he’s even still in the laser tag arena or if he’s managed to storm out and find his way into a bar, or off a cliff. The man’s directionally challenged, but she’s doubly glad that it wasn’t Luffy. She’s seen his method of taking out her teammates. He was more spider monkey than human, literally knocking people down just to shoot them. _I don’t think he understands the game. Or, rather, just wants to play it this way._

Turning another corner, breath kept even and light on her feet, she keeps her ears and eyes open. No time to get surprised by an enemy. She’d counted at least 2 down for G5 - Helmeppo never really stood a chance, and she saw the Luffy takedown of Kolby with a tight hug of flailing limbs and over excitement. The boom they made when they fell made her cringe in worry for Kolby’s ribs. Helmepo had been pissed.

She hasn’t seen Garp, but she’s heard his loud booming laughter and she feels sorry for Luffy and Sabo, _just a smidge_ because their grandpa had been more excited at the prospect of “training like the good old days!” _He didn’t seem to get the memo that this was laser tag and not laser first. But whatever takes the competition out… And luckily he’s on our side._

Turning another corner, she follows the wall, a hand gripped tightly on the butt of her gun as she sticks as close to the shadows as she can. Grateful for her dark hair for a change, she just wishes she wore something other than glasses; can’t take a chance on the light reflecting off the glass and giving her location away. 

The navigator is still out and about and the red-head is the one she worries about the most. Nami might not be one of the strongest, physically, but she’s one of the smartest of the Strawhats, and one of her biggest headaches. _Just because she minimizes the property damage doesn’t mean she isn’t dangerous._

This place is giant, built similar to a maze and the strobe lights keep going off overhead. She knows that the walls stay dark but she’s curious if anyone’s managed to hop on top of the walls themselves - they don’t go flush with the tall ceiling, and maybe, just maybe… 

Turning another corner, she catches a flash of fabric out of the corner of her eye. _Not sure if it’s blue or black. Maybe green?_ There’s the telltale patter of feet, and her heart’s jumping in her throat when the sound stops. She peeks around the corner careful to keep herself hidden, doesn’t want to give away her location but there’s no one there and it runs into a dead end. 

The unladylike shriek torn from her throat is a sound that she’ll be embarrassed about later-More of a squawk mixed with a squeak, and she’s flailing, arms punching up because

It’s _Brook_ , _right above her on the wall,_ and it’s unfortunate really.

Before he can even ask to see her panties, she’s got her hands wrapped around his long arms and he’s tumbling down in a graceful heap on the floor. 

“Ho ho ho ho! I knew you had it in you, Miss Tashigi,” he doesn’t even see it coming but laughs again when he realizes his vest is lit up red - dead. “Ahh, I didn’t even see you get your gun. Very good, Miss Captain! Now, could you show me your panties-”

None of the Strawhats made sense to her, couldn’t figure out exactly what made them tick and laser tag with them was just confirming what she always thought. 

_They’re absolutely insane. All of them. The entire lot._

Insanity, she swears, is contagious considering the way she almost pulls a Nami and punches the tall man down to the ground. Feeling her eyebrow twitch, she wonders if it wouldn’t be the best course of action - but she’s 3 Strawhats down, and so many more to go. 

“What have I told you about asking women to see their panties, you old pervert?” Brook doesn’t say much, just gives her a look over, spots the two guns strapped to her hips, the gun in her hand.

“Me doth thinks the lady is very suited for battle. May I say it, Miss Tashigi, war looks good on you,” and it’s a stupid thing to say - in the middle of laser tag, with black geometric vests strapped across your chest but it makes her flush with pride for a second. Just a second.

“Ah, thank you. H-have you seen Roronoa?” 

She wants to groan at the look that spreads across his face- like he knows something she doesn’t. “Looking for the swordsman, are you? I hear he’s further in. This place is like a maze though, and you know our swordsman….” He trails off, and the suggestive wink of his makes her want to shoot him again. Not that it does anything but it would be _satisfying._

_Of course._ “So no one thought to stay with him?” _Would make fighting him harder, but would have made it easier to get to him._

“More like he was lost the minute he stepped foot into the arena. What _ever_ will you try to do when you get your hands on our marimo first mate?”

Her eyebrows’ twitching, _again,_ and she just hoists the gun to rest on her shoulder. “Right, great. Of course. Well, have fun, Brook. I think the dead players go back to the breakroom after.”

Eyes lighting up, he reminds her so much of Sanji when he remarks, “And there’s girls! Surely one of them will show me their panties!” 

She feels horrible for any woman in that room, she does.

But not enough to follow him and try to maintain the crazy that is known as Brook, the Soul King. 

Instead, she just turns around and makes her way down another pathway, determined to find the God-awful swordsman. _He’s probably napping._

~~~~~

_Fucking Glasses can’t even tell there’s someone else up here._ Watching her talk with Brook, he grins when she calls him a pervert, surprised she didn’t just knock him down to the ground. _By the look on her face though, she was thinkin’ about it. Can’t blame her._ It was kind of creepy that Brook always asked the women to show him their panties, and honestly, he took their hits as just another part of the job. “ _But Zoro! It’s still a response.” He’s worse than the damn cook._

He’s more interested in seeing how agitated and determined the blue-haired woman looks. Her hair’s a fucking sweaty mess, no wonder - it’s hot as Hell in the arena, and that accounts for the way her tank top sticks to her but he’s wondering where the rest of her layers are. 

He hasn’t seen her completely bare arms in _years_ , finds himself a little distracted by all the small scars, thin lines of silver on her pale skin. Curious about how she got them, recognizes a few on her shoulder from Monet at the Punk Hazard House.

_Brook winks, not so subtly, but doesn’t tell her where he’s at, not even when she asks._

He isn’t a fucking pervert, not taken back by the cleavage she’s showing - he’s fought her before and her button-ups don’t always stay closed anyway, fabric tears with steel and it’s nothing unusual. _His own roommates showed more skin than this on a daily basis._

No, what gets him is the scars. All the little stories he didn’t know about, interested in knowing how many were self-inflicted, _he’s seen her fall down the stairs with her sword in her arms and how did it only just miss her head?,_ how many hard-won and hard lost. _I_ t’s sort of weird, really, because she’s dedicated to The Way just like him but he’s never seen the scene in its entirety. 

Brooks’ a good crewmate - he knows the swordsman loves seeing the blue-haired woman riled up and what better way to make her lose her Goddamn cool than by taking her victory away? Dropping in on her by surprise?

The only reason she even agreed to join was at the prospect of taking him out and since she couldn’t beat him with a sword - maybe a fake gun would work. He gives her that they’re tricky though and fuck there was a learning curve on the aim of the first two shots. He has the hang of it now, and he’s already beat Kid using his gun like a sword. No regrets - he takes down a couple of the G5 next, so he figures it’s a win/win.

That’d been fun but this was going to be better. He can already tell. 

She’s gunning for him, literally and figuratively, and he loves it when she’s on the fucking chase. She’s all puffed cheeks and hard eyes, usually hilt happy and moderately indulgent in her gentle form of violence. _When she’s like this, she’ll take out anyone that gets in her way._

He’d know. He’d seen her take out Usopp and Chopper. _Chopper, for fucks sake._ The Captain hadn’t even blinked when she pulled the trigger. Just took out the doctor and sharpshooter and made her way onto Brook. He’d be lying if he said it didn’t pique his interest.

She was usually klutzing her away around by this point but _she was on a mission._

He figures he might as well make it worth her while, hopping down from his perch, “I think they’re to the left? Yeah, to the left,” muttering to himself as he walks to the right.


	2. Speed Hunter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "‘Sides, he’s enjoying the easy way Captain Glasses takes out the shit cook. Has no clue where she just came from, Get lost much, Glasses? Weren’t you supposed to be looking for me? Tch, marines, but there’s not a moment’s hesitation from the moment she raises the gun and steadies her stance before aiming. Doesn’t bat an eyelash even after he starts trying to chase her, just takes him out, quick and easy. 
> 
> The blond-haired man doesn’t even know what hit him. Atta girl.
> 
> He’s got an appreciation for her form, how her body movies fluidly through the motions, comfortable and second nature. He knows she’s a marine but he only ever sees her with her sword. Makes him wonder what other things she knows, what other weapons. There is something about the way she holds the gun though, draws more attention to those thin scars on her arms and shoulders, none gracing her back."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And what's a girl to do when she's on a mission?  
> Keep walking, and keep that laser tag gun handy.

Tashigi has a distinct feeling that she’s being watched, feels the hair on the back of her neck standing up but she can’t seem to eye anything around her. The laser lights are non-stop, a rotating burst of blue, red, yellow, and purple, creating random shadows in the hallways, down the walls. It’s weird and does nothing to help her see more, but she just sticks to the darker sides of the walls and keeps an eye, and ear, out. 

No Strawhats, no Strawhat allies, _Law’s probably still around, and Jewelry Bonney too._ No G5 or Smoker or Hina either. She hasn’t run into anyone in the past ten minutes, but she doesn’t put it past everyone to be clustered in one part of the map by now. 

Luffy is chaos personified and she isn't looking forward to stumbling across him. No one's replying to her text messages and she really just wants to know if she needs to expect broken ribs by the end of this laser tag war. 

Really, she could care less about everyone else - she just needs to run into Roronoa. She's got her eyes on the prize and wiping that smirk off of his face is her goal. If her hands happen to slip and she hits him in the face with the butt of her gun, well, no one could blame her, right?

She's known to be clumsy. He can't get too mad. But he will and she is itching for that satisfaction. Wants to see how he rages at her and she can't help it. She shouldn't like it when he's focused on her but God does she. It makes a pleasant shiver run down her back but she shakes that thought off _._

_No time to be thinking about the green-haired jerk’s intense stare, his smirk, or anything else. There's nothing to say about how his shirts are always too tight if he even remembers to put one on._

Tashigi is a rule-abiding Captain in the G5 Marines. She isn't interested in a criminal because criminal activity is what she spends her time taking down. _Not that the Strawhats are always the criminals. A lot of the times they end up the hero and that's a frustrating conundrum she doesn't feel like even getting into._

Not surprised when she can hear yelling and arguing; she can make out the voice of her senior officer, Hina, and the perverted cook. She isn't sure what's happening, has a hard time making out what he's saying, and can't really pinpoint their location. It's dark, the strobe lights flickering on and off at random intervals and she curses her shitty eyesight, wishes she wasn't far-sighted because then this wouldn't be an issue. _Don't be negative, Tashigi. Far or nearsighted, you would have a tough time seeing them._

She doesn't notice the scurrying above her, doesn't make out the mark of bright green hair above her, just keeps walking, trying to make her way to Hina. _I need to check on Hina, make sure she doesn't kill their cook. He's harmless but Hina doesn't have the best self-control._

She can only imagine how much more annoying he would be if she breaks a bone of his. _I can't go through that again. He didn't stop crying for two days!_ He might be one of the strongest of their crew but you wouldn't know that from the way he handles a few minor injuries and hospitalizations from Hina. 

She's not concerned about what's above her, has checked it, and knows no one but Brook is tall enough to get up there but she still feels like someones got their eyes on her, and she can't shake that feeling of impending doom. _There's no one around… Why does it feel like someone is watching me?_

It's the same intense stare that she's used to when she's facing against Roronoa, that slow climb of dread up her back that settles like a dark ball in the pit of her stomach. It's usually attached to that God-awful smirk, slanted lips that make her want to rip him in two - and she can feel her blood pressure spiking because it's like _he's right there._ But he isn’t. The swordsman was probably lost already. _Watch him be in the parking lot._

But she can’t shake that sinister feeling, just a little, sitting there at the back of her mind. _What if he’s lost and runs into me?_

_Even better. I’ll be eating a burger before I know it then._

And god, did she want the burger. It wasn’t intentional, skipping breakfast and having a light lunch but really, what type of laser tag place doesn’t have at least a single concession stand? Or even a vending machine? She’s not choosy; she’d settle for one of those old, stale mints she’s sure they’ve got stashed somewhere at the check-in kiosk. Literally anything at this point. 

_She almost wishes that they had maybe randomly selected teams considering the late-night she had. It was annual reviews for G5. That meant a review for every single 516 members. That meant she had done hers 4 weeks ago, and Smoker hadn’t, of course. That meant staying up until the sunrise helping her superior write_ _his_ _reviews for the men._ She’d managed to get some good sleep but food was the one other thing she hadn’t managed to get her hands on.

There’s some clattering to her right, _is that… metal?_ , but a glance around shows just walls and cutouts; perfect for sniping and perfect for hiding. _I really could just stake out… Surely he’ll eventually lose himself enough he’ll come by._ But then she remembers how he got lost at Punk Hazard House and she figures she’s on the right track; go to where all the noise is. 

The swordsman’s simple enough, not going to overthink heading towards the sounds of people yelling. _How is he not dead yet?_ Doesn’t matter because she can make out the fierce form of her senior superior officer being chased by none other than Sanji. 

_Well, this isn’t how I expected it to go._

Sanji’s got his arms held out, hearts for eyes and tongue-wagging out like a caricature and Tashigi’s not sure what to make of it. The scene in front of her is both hilarious and interesting. She’s not used to her stone-faced boss running away from someone, let alone their cook. Hina doesn’t run away from anyone. Not even Smoker, or Garp.

 _Can’t say I blame her though._ Getting caught with the perverted blonde in the dark? It’s a recipe for disaster. Sanji might mean well but it never went over well. _One day, he’ll find a woman for him that will like this type of thing. Or doesn’t but at least he’d have someone._

The minute he spots her because _of course, the fucking strobe lights would start right now,_ no way out of this, so she does the only thing she can do-

Inhale. _“Get down!” Hina dives for the ground instantly, and Sanji? Well, he just stands there, arms stretched out and making his way towards her._ Exhale.

Inhale; _Her finger on the trigger and just needs one more second…_ Exhale. “ _My sweet blueberry!” Arms stretched out wide, and he changes course - starts veering towards her._ Inhale. _His vest lights up red, vibrates that confirmation that he’s out._ Exhale. _A disappointed look on his face when it registers, a little bit of shock. She’s nice but she’s not always nice._

“Wha- what?” And he looks a little dumbstruck, even more so after Hina smacks him upside the head. 

“Why were you chasing Hina instead of shooting her? And why were you chasing Hina!” Her voice just raises and Tashigi groans when she spots the way Sanji’s all but drooling at the older woman ranting and raving at him. 

_What did I do to deserve this?_

~~~~~

Zoro’s _bored_. 

He’s managed to come across a few more G5, _he could have sworn that he’d seen Franky and Robin nearby, but the fucking walls moved around again,_ and finally uses his swords to get back on top of the walls. 

He does think it’s hil-fucking-larious to watch Luffy, Garp, and Sabo decking it out. He doesn’t know how he’s already lost those two earlier but he’s not complaining. Their guns are discarded, Garp’s looking like he’s having the time of his life and the two younger boys were frantic, trying to get out of his tight grip because yeah, those noogies looked like they hurt. More like Garp’s trying to cave their head in. _Now I know why Luffy’s head is so fucking hard. Probably massive amounts of scar tissue._ Luffy and Sabo’s faces are bright red, snot running down their determined faces. 

He’s not interested in getting punched around this evening so he figures that Luffy and Sabo can handle it. Even if they can’t take down the old man, at least they can take his aggressive method of training. _And the others say training with Mihawk was bad. At least I didn’t get punched around all day. I fucking fought monkeys! Regardless of what the others said - it’s different. He actually got stronger._

This just more looks like torture. 

His luck is damn good today - maybe he lost Robin and Franky, but he can hear the frantic voices of the ero-cook, and by the screaming from the pink-haired monster that was always with Smokey and Glasses. Someone higher up or some other bullshit; all he knows is she has a hard-on for arresting all of them. He’s surprised that she hasn’t turned shrew and already started trying to. Kinda fucking weird that she _isn't._

But considering the way the woman’s running away from the lecher it’s safe to say that she probably doesn’t have her cuffs on her. Or a real gun. 

Doesn’t matter anyway ‘cause he isn’t planning on hopping down. The floor is fucking lava right now. He’s not even safe from his own crewmates - they would probably end up taking down the entire place before the night was through given what’s happened in the past. 

‘Sides, he’s enjoying the easy way Captain Glasses takes out the shit cook. Has no clue where she just came from, _Get lost much, Glasses? Weren’t you supposed to be looking for me? Tch, marines,_ but there’s not a moment’s hesitation from the moment she raises the gun and steadies her stance before aiming. Doesn’t bat an eyelash even after he starts trying to chase her, just takes him out, quick and easy. 

The blond-haired man doesn’t even know what hit him. _Atta girl._

He’s got an appreciation for her form, how her body movies fluidly through the motions, comfortable and second nature. He knows she’s a marine but he only ever sees her with her sword. Makes him wonder what other things she knows, what other weapons. There is something about the way she holds the gun though, draws more attention to those thin scars on her arms and shoulders, none gracing her back. 

He likes the way her scars look, likes the way her pale skin seems to fucking low in the dark. The woman might be a marine but somehow she was paler than Brook. It’s nothing he’s really taken note of before but he likes the view he has of her, sees the flush crawling down her neck and spreading to her chest, _Dartbrow’s is still freaking every woman out in a 2-mile vicinity, hah._ It’s hilarious because the shitty cook knows better; despite the years, Tashigi has never once shown any interest in him. Never once accepted his advances with a smile - she’s always managed to stutter and grumble her way out if. He’s waiting for the day she pulls a Nami and just hits him upside the head. 

The woman’s got it in her that’s for sure. After laser tag, he can admit that she’s got more skills than he previously thought. He’s always mocking her for her less than stellar swords skills, _she loses every single time against him, that was a fact,_ but a gun was second nature. _Knowing your enemy is important, essential to winning your fight,_ but Zoro realizes he doesn’t know a lot about the woman obsessed with beating him. Normally it wouldn’t bother him, he can’t know everything about his enemies, but the sword nerd is different.

They help out the Marines more times than he wants to admit to for fucks sake. 

Doesn’t matter ‘cause he sees this different side of her. The determined set to her shoulders lets him know that she hasn’t forgotten about him. The fact that she’s grilling the ero-cook on his whereabouts is even better. The fucking cook _hates_ it, hates how she’s got a one mind track mind. “Look, Sanji-san, I don’t care if you want to get me a drink, that’s nice, truly it is, but where is Roronoa?” The expletive-filled response doesn’t really help her and he can imagine the way she’s rolling her eyes when she finally just grunts, “Well, thanks for nothing, Sanji-san,” and makes her way past. 

The pink-haired woman is still yelling at him, and the lovely dovey look on his face makes Zoro feel uncomfortable. _How the fuck is he that oblivious to the disinterest._ He’ll just hit him for it when he sees him next. 

He trails behind the blue-haired Captain, perched above. She keeps peeking over her shoulder, looking left and right, making him snicker lightly to himself. The woman has some of the worst instincts, but at least she knows when a predator is around. The strobe lights going off means she sticks closer to the walls, gives him a good view of her, heavy breathing and sweaty face, hair tumbling down from her useless half bun and long strands sticking to her face, to her throat, to her chest. 

The strands on her chest show him the scars right above her breasts, thin but long and there’s a story there that he wants to learn more about. The scars rest diagonally, still slightly pink and there’s a bullet wound on her opposite shoulder, on the side- one that makes him think Glasses might not know what the safety is. It looks a little jagged, a circular piece of scar tissue that seems to match the scar from Monet. It’s interesting, getting a chance to see her scars, and it makes him wonder how many more she has on her legs. 

It’s fascinating to see the product of her labor, the scars adorning her skin, and he realizes that she’s got as many as he does, maybe, even more, considering her luck with swords. _He hates to admit it, but it makes him respect her a little more. Makes her seem a little more human. Hates how Brook was the one to point this out earlier,_

_“The miss looks… Different doesn't she? The most amount of skin the woman’s shown and it'd be for something like this.”_

_“yeah, and?”_ He’d been less than impressed, more interested in seeing how quickly he could aim the gun and take someone out.

 _“Well, don’t you think it’s curious?”_ Brook had that lilt to his voice, that singsong quality to it that let Zoro know he’s not going to like what he follows up with.

_“Keh?” “_

_Her scars, swordsman! So many, just like you. A stark reminder that despite her uniform, she’s still a swordsman herself. Still has all the scars you would expect. I know she’s a soldier, a swordsman, but you never really think about it until you see the scars.”_

He has to argue that the skeleton is correct. Seeing her scars, all that pale skin littered with stories, makes him view her a little differently. She’s always been a marine Captain, but she’s never been anything more. Her rank had always seemed to be something of a desk job; he remembers there are ranks, _had suffered through a long-winded rant from Smokey and Glasses after her last promotion_ , but he never really thought of her as someone active, someone getting injured. 

She’s fought alongside him, but he always forgets she fights outside of their encounters.

It was interesting though, to see her stalk, to see her patrolling the pathways. It is, he can imagine, the kind of operation she’s actually comfortable with. Knows if he was stuck being a sitting duck in the pathways that she might even actually have the chance to shoot him before he saw her. 

That does something for him, makes a little heat settle low in his stomach at the prospect of a worthwhile opponent. He can’t wait to see what she does when she sees him when he finally makes his way off the perch. But that will have to wait because looking ahead, he can see the shapes of Smokey, Robin, and Franky, and fucking _finally_ , somehow the walls stopped moving. 

Franky’s in full battle regalia, after all, just updated for laser tag. Grinning, he can’t wait to see how Tashigi handles _that._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think! :)


	3. A View To Kill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "How hard is it to go a couple of hours without your cigars?
> 
> Hardly important right now because they haven’t noticed her yet, sticking as close to the wall as she can. Luck’s on her side tonight, makes her contemplate if she even wants to interrupt. 
> 
> Tashigi’s only ever seen Smoker make that face once before, at Marine Ford. "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tashigi finally stumbles across Smoker, but what exactly is he doing with Franky?  
> And why can't he stop smoking indoors everywhere they go?

Nothing prepares Tashigi for Franky. Nothing. Not Chopper, Ussopp, or Sanji. There was no preparation for his hot pink cheetah print speedo, mohawk died to match. The vest is laughable on him - he’s a freaking hulk in it, but somehow it _works_. 

She’s so distracted by seeing Franky she almost misses Robin, concealed in the corner behind him, hiding a laugh behind her hand. Tashigi can’t blame her, she feels like she’s at the beginning of an old Western movie.

Smoker and Franky were locked in an intense staredown, hands hovering over their guns. She hadn’t noticed it, but Franky’s got a gold gun holster around his hips, _and oh my god, how did I miss that?_ Smoker’s top holster holds two laser guns, lips set in a grim line while he bites down on the cigars in his mouth, hands just hovering, on the ready. She wouldn’t be surprised if she sees a tumbleweed start running by, tries to bite back her rant about smoking in indoor, enclosed areas. _How hard is it to go a couple of hours without your cigars?_

Hardly important right now because they haven’t noticed her yet, sticking as close to the wall as she can. Luck’s on her side tonight, makes her contemplate if she even wants to interrupt. 

Tashigi’s only ever seen Smoker make that face once before, at Marine Ford. Even though they’d broken up the protest, even though people were leaving, they still had to run after them, still had to arrest them. 

By the time _that_ face came out, her superior officer made the executive decision to spend an hour screaming at _his_ superior officers. Somehow they got promoted, because who knew people recorded so much? Seeing him lose his shit on his fellow officers wasn’t something anyone had expected. _He was furious when he saw the videos on Youtube, promised to hunt down everyone that had a video, but the man could barely work Google, let alone anything beyond that._

Franky’s just as serious, but smiling somehow? The combination was oddly terrifying, she’s hardly ever seen Franky anything other than supremely happy-go-lucky. It’s oddly intense and really, she doesn’t need to get involved in all _that_ , but she’s so curious.

Why haven’t they just… shot each other?

She almost has a heart attack when she feels a warm hand settle on her shoulder.

“Peculiar, isn’t it, Tashigi-chan?” 

“Uh, how long have they-” Tashigi doesn’t even get a chance to finish her sentence before Robin is laughing. 

“I can’t really say, but I’ve been with Franky for the past thirty minutes or so.” 

“Is that why their eyes are so red?” Tashigi’s gotten a little closer to get a good eye on them, and she can spot the sweat on their foreheads, down their faces. The strobe lights are going off again, and it’s already so damn hot.

The two men just stood there, staring at each other.

Robin kills her with her dark sense of humor, “Wouldn’t it be tragic if they couldn’t close their eyes after this?”

“Jesus Christ Robin, can you kindly _not_ give me that visual? I’m trying to win here!” Franky shudders, stubborn eyes staring forward.

Smoker’s not impressed either, grunting “What the Hell, woman? Why is everything so dark with you,” around his permanent cigars. _How can he have all that smoke in his face and not blink? His eyes have to be so dry!_

Before she knows it the two men are arguing, eyes still wide open, neither blinking. Her eyes hurt just staring at them staring at each other, and she almost misses it, the whispered, “Sorry, Tashigi-chan,” and oh _fuck, maybe she’s out before she gets a chance to shoot that arrogant jerk._

But she surprises herself with how quick she drops to the floor, and whoopsies, because out of habit, she klutzed out and managed to take out Robin. _That’s her story and she’s sticking to it._

They end up on the floor in a tangle of limbs, and she’s more surprised that Robin’s not flashing her considering the extremely short dress she’s wearing. 

Inhale. _Tashigi just rolls onto her back, tilts her head forward._ Exhale. _Finger on the trigger, and just a small amount of pressure._ Inhale. _Trigger_ _pulled, vest lighting up red._ Exhale.

Robin’s arched eyebrow and surprised face, “Well that was quick. Hmm, well, maybe now they’ll finally do something. Or their eyes will bulge out of their head.”

A bead of sweat drops down Tashigi’s face because what if… That does happen? Robin looks pretty sure of herself, of that possibility, and really, she doesn’t need that mental image. 

She’s kind of glad she didn’t eat that much today in retrospect. 

“Weren’t you and Franky-san supposed to have a date night tonight, Robin-chan?” It’s been fifteen minutes already and the two men didn’t seem like they were getting ready to end anytime soon. Smoker’s already cracking, just a little - she can tell it in the way his right eye twitches, a little peeved that the man doesn’t just go ahead and end this already. 

“Don’t you wanna take me out, Smokey? Come on, it’ll be super!” 

Franky isn’t fairing that much better either - hands shaking right above his gun holster, sweat dripping down his face. The man looks _eager_ , makes a little bit of dread fill her stomach because this isn’t going to end with a simple shooting match. 

Smoker just growls in response. “Do you really think I’m gonna fall for that?”

Both of those overgrown toddlers were itching to settle the fight from a few weekends ago. Vitally important for them to know who was stronger. _How does that even count when Franky has freaking metal armor._ Smoker has his jitte, but that’s about it.

And an endless supply of smoke thanks to those cigars. 

The minute she spots Franky starting to twitch, body jerking forward, she knows this isn’t going to end well. 

“You know what smokey-”

“Look here, you shit-”

Not even one minute later, they’re colliding, just throwing punches, and _really? How are they older than me?_

“Robin-chan, do you know if Zoro is still here, or is he out?” Tashigi bites her lip as she watches the scuffle before her. 

They’re breathing hard and somehow, Smoker’s still trying to puff on his cigars. Franky’s just pissed the smoke keeps coming into his eyes, “Damnit, man! That’s not super! That’s the opposite of super!”

“Hmmm, I believe he’s still here. He was with us earlier, but maybe it’s time they took a rest, no?”

Tashigi glances at the brunette woman, arching an eyebrow when she sees her raise her gun towards Smoker and calmly walks in his direction.

Nodding her head, Tashigi speed runs behind Franky, and locking eyes with Robin, she pulls the trigger.

~~~~~

Zoro can’t help the way his lips twitch when the woman comes back into view. He’d lost of her for a second; she was pretty quick on her feet, something he appreciates when he sees the distance she covers. She’s good at keeping herself small and hidden - makes it a challenge to keep on the right track. Doesn’t help that the walls keep fucking moving, and the strobe lights going off make it hard to see where she’s going. 

He’s definitely grinning when she walks right into whatever the fuck Smokey and Franky are doing. Those two are bros of the weirdest order; somehow the same age but so radically different. Or that’s what Smokey would say. 

He had a hard time admitting those two were kind of friends. They’re surprisingly close despite being so radically different. It doesn’t hurt that the mohawked man was a gossip Queen and the marine gets good use out of that. And Franky liked getting paid for being nosey as fuck - which he already loved doing.

Really a win-win for both of them even if it was still weird as shit to see them talking and hanging out. _They’re such fucking opposites_. That and their pissing contents - always trying to find out who was stronger. 

Glasses doesn’t even know what to do either, just watches. Still doesn’t even notice him up here, _What kind of soldier is she even?_ Really doesn’t matter right now, because she and Robin are on the ground and if he didn’t fucking know better, he’d say that she just klutzed on purpose. _That little shit._

It’s effective, though. Robin’s out before she knows it, not at all concerned with the way her vest lights up red. _Robin hadn’t really wanted to play anyway. Just came to make sure we didn’t burn the place down._ The sword freak’s dusting herself off as she rolls her shoulders, the motion drawing his attention to the deep scars from Monet on her left shoulder.

They’re jagged straight lines, darker than the other scars he can see. Still a deep hue despite it being years ago. It’s one of those scars that’ll never get smaller, never go away. If she’s lucky, it’ll lighten, but it’s a memory - it’s a lesson learned, and he wonders if she regrets it. Getting into that fight, learning that lesson the hard way. 

Considering how hard-headed the woman is, he doubts it. 

She’s got light scars on her other shoulder, not as deep; more of a graze. _Probably from sparring._ They’re short lines, thick. He’s close enough he gets a good view of a line starting right above the cut of her tank top right under her armpit and seeming to trail down, thin and he wonders if it’s straight, or jagged. How far it goes down - wonders how old it is. It’s slightly pink, not silver like the others, a fresher scar. _What happened?_ , notices the thin line across her collar bone, pink in hue and he blinks when he realizes his crewmate looks pretty smug, caching his eye when she looks around, and _Fuck._ He knows that look in her eyes; makes him sweat a little because nothing good comes from that look.

Not when Robin’s got that twinkle in her eyes and smirk on her face. Still, she doesn’t rat him out to the sword freak. That’s got to mean something.

Figures may be the look isn’t for him considering the two women decide to take _both_ of the men out. It’s hilarious, the furious way Smoker turns on the two women. 

“What the fuck, Tashigi? Why did you let her-” Smoker doesn’t even get to finish his sentence before Franky’s indignant voice breaks through.

“Yeah! Not cool! Robin, why’d you do that? I was winning!” Smokey has steam coming from his ears just about when the chainsmoking marine really gets what Franky says. It’s funny, the way they instantly start wresting _again_. 

_It’s a really fucking weird night._

Zoro doesn’t like the subtle wink that Robin throws his way as she talks to the woman currently yelling at Smokey.

“Smoker-san, you are not a child! Could you maybe at least _not smoke your cigar?_ There’s wood everywhere!” That makes him snort because the woman bitched at them for it but G5 wasn’t much better with the property damage. 

Glasses fucking tried, she did, just like she was now. Adopting that familiar stance, the one he really fucking hates - straight back, tense shoulders, frown on her face. Disappointment radiating from every pore of her body. 

This was usually the precursor to some crazy long rant that he tunes out anyway, and it turns out she does the same thing to Smokey. 

Unlike Smokey, Zoro likes to focus on seeing how red he can make her, how long it’ll take before she springs into action and just starts fighting him. So far his record is 6 minutes. Brook timed it. 

He’s just better at speaking with his sword, so yes they fight, and they settle the score. Besides, they’ve fought for more reasons than being mad - they’ve fought when she’s been sad, or when he’s been frustrated, when she’s been scared, and when he’s been annoyed. Eying some of those darker, fresher scars, he wonders if the rest of her is littered with them., how much more is hidden just right there under the fabric of her tank top. He wears his life story on his body. His scars are the sum total of all he’s learned, all he’s failed, and the empty space means there’s more room for growth, more room for improvement. 

“Tashigi-chan, let them be. They’ll either stop fighting or maybe one of Smoker-san’s cigars will fall to the floor and catch the arena on fire, burning us all inside of it.” _Fucking Robin. Worked though._

“Goddamnit woman, why are you so dark?” Smoker groans. “Fine, fine, I’m putting out the fucking cigars.”

There’s more talking, but he doesn’t really pay attention, too busy peering at the way the blue-haired woman’s stretching, tank top rising, and that scar does go down further, from under her armpit and wrapping around, ending below her navel. Sees a few more knicks, _gunshots,_ a few more scars. He’s interested in the different colors, and the pale expanse of skin in between. 

The moment fades when she jerks the tanktop down, grumbling under her breath as she blushes at Robin’s teasing, “My, my, bearing it all today, aren’t we? Too bad a certain first mate isn’t here to see it.”

There’s spluttering from good ol’ Glasses, fire coming back into her eyes as she whips around to stare at the archeologist, “What? No! You’re as bad as Sanji-san, Robin-chan! Anyway, I’m looking for the swordsman because we have a score to settle.” The lights must be fucking with his eye because for a moment it looks like her cheeks were a little red, but there’s no fucking way that’d be something that gets her blushing. _Come on woman, I expect more out of you. Get back on track._

“Ahh, yes, he can be quite frustrating at times, can’t he?” _Oi, whose side are you on?_ Robin just keeps going, “But if you’re that determined to find him, I would say he’s probably much closer thank you think.”

The only answer she gets from the swordswoman is a loud groan before she starts walking away. He’s a little offended when he can her talk out loud to herself a few twists and turns later, “Guess I’ll keep following the noise,” but she keeps looking around, still seems to know someone’s lurking close by - just not sure how close. 

Figures now is as good a time as any considering they’re at a dead-end and there’s no one close by to interfere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALRIGHT, so according to the One Piece wiki - [Smoker](https://onepiece.fandom.com/wiki/Smoker) and [Franky](https://onepiece.fandom.com/wiki/Franky) are both 36.  
> (I know, I know, who the fuck would have thought? Anyway, I know they haven't had that many interactions... I still couldn't help myself. I have no regrets either.)

**Author's Note:**

> 1 - Thank you, a million times over, to [ni21](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ni21) and [Sweet Sango](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sweetsango/gifts) for on the fly reading. And what would I have done with out [ Sirius Enthusiast?](https://archiveofourown.org/users/siriusenthusiast/pseuds/siriusenthusiast) Ya'll are the real MVP's.
> 
> 2- Don’t forget to join the cult. We are fuckin’ rad!  
> [Zotash Discord - Join The Cult](https://discord.gg/tSwZVc)
> 
> 3 - Did you know I like doing prompts?  
> Feel free to comment a prompt, or DM me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Ero_Inu_)


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